The One Before Us
by Symphonic Fantasia
Summary: After going to an all-girls school for most of her life, Lillie was awkward around boys. She found it hard to talk and get along with them. Johnny was different, though. He was different from anyone else and he reminded Lillie of the first person she fell in love with. / Written for The Village Square's "I Have To Write About Who Again? Assigned Character Prompt."


**Author's Notes: I everyone to know that I've NEVER written Lillie before. In fact, I never finished Story of Seasons—I never even gotten MARRIED in it. However, I had a lot of fun with this! I couldn't pass up a chance to make Lillie a _little_ bit gay. Ironically, after I walked my dog past a couple of guys, I realized that I am Lillie. I, too, am awkward among men.**

* * *

She spent so much time looking at the sky that she never thought to look at what was around her.

The clouds fascinated her. How the atmosphere and climate changed throughout the day. There was nothing she enjoyed doing more. Sometimes, she would lay in the grass and stare up at the sky. The world could pass her by and she wouldn't care. If her sister or father hadn't stopped by to come get her, she would have fallen asleep there without worry.

Lillie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She opened her eyes to watch the clouds drift by, imagining different shapes they created. Immediately, something she did out of habit, she thought about what the weather would be like tomorrow and the days to come. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like if she lived in the sky.

It must be magical.

"Good afternoon, Lillie."

The voice was so startling that it pulled her out of her thoughts. Lillie sat up and turned towards the source. Johnny was smiling at her, golden hair peeking out from beneath his hat. He always looked at her with such a kind look. It always managed to fluster her.

"G-good afternoon, Johnny…" Lillie muttered. She always felt so awkward talking to him. With boys, she had little experience with them.

Johnny moved closer and sat down beside her. He didn't seem to be in too much of a rush. Lillie usually saw him running around to take care of things for the village. She felt honored that he decided to spend his free time with her.

"You don't mind if I join you, do you?" Johnny asked. He was still smiling.

Lillie shook her head. She knew that her face was burning hot. "Not at all. Y-you can sit with me for a while…"

"Thank you."

Even though this was something that Johnny had done often, it never failed to twist Lillie's insides. She interlaced her fingers and placed them on her lap. It was difficult to keep her gaze trained on the sky. Too often she would find herself looking at Johnny.

The sun captured his features perfectly, even with his hat blocking most of the light. Lillie found that she would often get lost in the beautiful blue hue of them. They reminded her of the girl she had a crush on back in the all-girls school she went to. Now that she thought about it, they were both so kind to her. Lillie saw so much of Ariel in Johnny.

Perhaps that's what first stood out about him for Lillie. She liked how kind he was, not just to her but to everyone in the village. Sometimes she would spend some time walking around his farm and she loved seeing how he cared for his animals. Kindness radiated off him and Lillie found herself liking him more and more.

"How's work going so far?" Johnny asked.

Lillie was pulled out of her thoughts like she was doused with rain. "Oh, work is going quite well. How is the farm? Are the animals doing all right?"

Johnny smiled. "Indeed, they are. In fact, a new lamb was born the other day. Would you like to come by and see her?"

"Is that okay? Are you not too busy today?" Lillie questioned. After all, she didn't want to bother Johnny. He was always running around, doing this or that. If he was busy, Lillie could always see him another time.

"Not at all. I could enjoy the company," Johnny answered. "In fact, I was going to ask you if you wanted to spend some time with me today. That is, of course, if you're not too busy."

Lillie could feel her heart fluttering in her chest like it was a baby bird. Very few people could have such an effect on her. It seemed almost silly that she could succumb so easily to someone being nice to her. Sometimes, she fancied the idea of what she would have been like if she hadn't gone to an all girl's school. Would she be able to handle Johnny's attention better?

She immediately shook the thought from her head. It wouldn't have changed how Lillie felt about Johnny and what she felt whenever he was around.

"I would love to come to the farm today," Lillie answered, plastering on her best TV smile.

Johnny immediately stood up, but Lillie could see that his smile had grown. "Well, then we better start walking. It's still a long way to my farm." He leaned towards her, holding his hand out as if he was a knightly prince.

Lillie shuddered when she took Johnny's hand. It felt so warm, unbelievably so for the season. Johnny helped her to stand, placing a hand on her waist when she temporarily lost her balance. He still didn't let go of her hand, even as he led her to the main road to his farm.

Her mind buzzed like bees in the spring as they walked. Lillie couldn't figure out why Johnny was still holding her hand. After all, he had helped her up. She knew her way to his farm, even in the dark. Her thoughts couldn't settle down, no matter how hard she tried.

As they passed a few villagers, Lillie could see their questioning and mischievous stares. Oak Tree Town wasn't small, but it wasn't exactly big. News traveled fast within their tiny little town. It would only take a matter of hours before everyone knew of their little hand holding.

Lillie pulled her hand out of Johnny's and brought it behind her back. He didn't say anything about it. She could see how Johnny looked a little hurt that she had done so, though. It made her heart twinge. Lillie wanted to assure him that it wasn't because he so boldly took her hand. However, the words were caught in her throat, sounding terrible no matter how much she tried to rephrase it.

The smell of the farm reached her nose and Lillie took in a deep breath. It always smelled wonderful to her. Whenever she had the time, she liked to walk around here, enjoying the animals and all the different scents. They mixed together to make a wonderful perfume that she could lose herself in for hours.

"The lamb should be outside. I'm sure she'll be happy to see someone besides me," Johnny answered.

He led the way to the other half of his farm where the animals roamed freely in the pasture. Even from where they were standing, Lillie could see the new lamb. The other sheep seemed to congregate around it, protecting it from whatever dangers there could be on the farm. It was safe there, of course. The animals had nothing to fear.

Johnny held open the fence for her, allowing her to step inside before walking in himself. The moment Johnny did, the animals turned their attention from the new lamb to him. Lillie had to step aside as they gathered around him, nudging him with their muzzles and begging for attention. It brought a smile to her face to see them enjoy his company so much. Johnny had come a long way from the farmer he used to be.

The only two animals that didn't step closer were the lamb and her mother. Lillie took slow and careful steps towards it, moving to kneel before them. She made sure that she was a safe distance away from them. After all, Lillie didn't want to scare them or have the mother believing they were in danger.

"You're a cute little lamb, aren't you?" Lillie asked quietly. The lamb bleated at her before burying her face in her mother's wool. It was adorable.

"I named her Sunny." Johnny had pried himself away from the crowd of his animals, but they were still close by—they still craved his attention. He stepped closer to the lamb and picked her up. Her mother didn't seem to mind, peacefully blinking at him as he did so. "Would you like to pet her?"

Lillie nodded her head. She reached out as Johnny stepped closer to sit beside her. The moment he got comfortable, Johnny placed the lamb in her lap. It took Lillie by surprise and she wrapped her arms around it out of instinct. The lamb protested with a loud noise, but it settled down with a few comforting sounds from Johnny. In her arms, the lamb felt so soft and warm—Lillie never wanted to let her go.

"You are so cute," she muttered, burying her face in its soft wool.

"She likes you," Johnny said.

"I like her, too," Lillie said in turn. "Are you going to keep her and show her off at festivals?"

Johnny became more comfortable beside her, crossing his legs beneath him and leaning closer until their arms touched. "I was thinking about it. She's a cute little girl, so she'll win competitions easily." He laughed and reached out to pet Sunny's head. "Of course, there's a lot of work that needs to be done in order for that to happen."

Lille raised her own hand and stroked one of Sunny's legs. "I'm sure that you'll manage to train her. You're good with animals and… you're a good person."

A comfortable silence dropped down on them like a blanket. The only sounds between them were quiet murmurings to the lamb in Lillie's arms.

She liked sitting quietly like this—she liked sitting like this with _him_. Lillie could never begin to explain what it was about Johnny that had her feelings soaring for him. Perhaps it was how kind he was or the fact that he was so patient with her. It hadn't happened overnight like fairy tales had told her. Her affections grew as the seasons changed, growing stronger and stronger with the winds as they faded from Spring to Winter.

Sometimes, Melanie would say something to her before they went to bed. It always started as something playful before telling Lillie that she needed to be quick. There were plenty of other young and beautiful ladies in town. Johnny could have his pick of them all if he so chooses to.

Some dark part of Lillie's mind said that Johnny had already made his choice. There was probably some girl he was waiting to get back to after he was done hanging out with her. The very thought had her heart clench painfully. Lillie didn't want to think about it, the very idea that she was an afterthought and nothing special.

It was hard to cast aside such thoughts, though.

Carefully, but as quickly as she could, Lillie transferred the lamb to Johnny's lap. She shot up from her spot in the grass. "I should probably get going… There's some work I need to prepare for tomorrow…"

"Are… are you sure?" Johnny asked. He sounded hurt. "I was hoping we could have dinner together. I even learned how to make chocolate ice cream and was hoping you could taste test it for me."

As tempting as it was to try her most favorite dish, Lillie knew she couldn't. Her stomach only twisted at the idea of eating with Johnny, her thoughts already sending messages to the rest of her body. She had to get away from him now before she said something embarrassing. "Perhaps we can do it another time," Lillie assured.

She didn't hang around to see what Johnny would say. Lillie was already out the pasture and running away from his farm.

Her heart was hammering in her ears. Tears burned at her eyes, but she refused to close them and let them fall. The last thing Lillie needed was for someone to see her like this. She didn't want the entire town to learn why she was crying. It was over something so silly—surely, she would be teased for it. That wasn't what she wanted to happen.

All she had to do was keep it together until she got home.

Just…

Keep it together.

* * *

"You look so sad today, Lillie," Melanie pointed out. They were getting ready for bed, slipping on their nightdresses and doing their hair. Melanie's fingers made quick work of forming braids in Lillie's darker locks. "Did something bad happen today with Johnny?"

Lillie bit her lip to keep back the pathetic whimper that threatened to spill forth. As she expected, everyone knew that she spent time with Johnny in the afternoon. They hadn't seen her crying her way home and she preferred it that way. Still, she knew that word would spread like wildfire in a dry field the moment it reached the town.

"Why would you think something went wrong?" Lillie asked. She knew it was better to play it off. It was her only defense.

"Well, everyone knows that you were with him today," Melanie answered. She finally finished Lillie's hair and patted her back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

If she talked about it, Lillie knew that she would break down in tears. Melanie was such a pillar of strength for someone as young as her. While she may look up to her, Lillie would be proud of herself if she became someone as strong and confident as her little sister.

She rose from Melanie's bed and moved to her own. "There's nothing to talk about. Nothing went wrong today."

One look at her little sister and she knew that Melanie didn't believe her. She could read Lillie like a book. It could get a bit unsettling sometimes.

"I don't believe you," Melanie answered. "I'm not going to force you to tell me what happened, but I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Lillie smiled at her little sister. She was a wonderful little girl, so headstrong and proud. "Thank you, Melanie. I'm happy to have you as my sister."

Melanie smiled from ear to ear. "Good. Now, let's hit the hay. You have a big day at work tomorrow."

"Yes, you're right." Lillie tossed the covers aside and crawled under them. The warmth of her bed wrapped her in its arms, comforting her from the stress of the day. "Good night, Melanie. I hope you have a good rest."

"You too, big sis."

The light went off without another word.

Lillie stared up at the ceiling, tracing the patterns in the cracked paint. Her mind was still buzzing, refusing to still for even a moment. At some point, it slowed like the spinning of an abandoned wagon wheel—slowly and slowly until it tumbled on its side to rest. Lillie fell asleep the moment it happened.

* * *

Her lips were soft against hers.

Their fingers were interlaced together, small squeezes exchanged between the two of them.

Lillie felt a hand tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and she shuddered at the touch. It was so gentle and kind. After so many years within the all-girls school, it was nice to feel some attention like this. Lillie had never felt this kind of attention or affection for anyone in Oak Tree Town—not for any boy or girl she had grown up with.

Ariel was different, though. She won Lillie over with the sound of her voice, both singing and otherwise, and with her vivid dreams of swimming with mermaids. She had always been kind to Lillie and it had started when they first started to dorm together. No one had expected for them to yearn for each other like this until they were kissing each other breathlessly.

Lillie certainly hadn't expected it, but she wasn't complaining. She liked this.

"Should we stop…?" Ariel asked, breaking the kiss. Her lips were swollen, and her cheeks were flushed. Lillie knew that she must have looked just as wrecked as she did.

She licked her lips, tasting Ariel's sea salt caramel Chapstick. "Only… only if you want to…"

Ariel turned her head to stare at the sun-shaped clock that decorated their wall. "They'll be calling us for dinner soon. We should rest so that we could look a bit more presentable."

Lillie knew that she was right, but she loathed to stop their make-out session. Still, she nodded her head. "Can we still lay down together…?"

As always, she was met with Ariel's dazzling smile. "Of course."

Side by side they lay together. Their hands were still clasped tightly, fingers interlaced. If Lillie listened closely, she could hear their hearts beating as one. It felt like they were one being, finally meeting their partner after years of searching. From the moment she met Ariel, Lillie knew that she was someone special to her. Without Ariel's confidence in her, without her motivation pushing her on, this would have never happened.

One thing worried her, though. What would happen when school was over? Lillie knew that they lived miles apart. It would be difficult to explain to her father why she needed to visit Ariel's seaside village. Coming out to her father scared her more than it should—after all, he loved her no matter who she loved.

Lillie licked her lips. Ariel's Chapstick still lingered there. "What's going to happen to us…? You know, when school's over…"

Ariel squeezed her hand, a grip that was tighter than the feeling in Lillie's chest. It was so quiet around them that Lillie grew fearful. She suspected the worse from Ariel, telling her that they couldn't continue this. Instantly, she thought that maybe all their time together was nothing but a phase for Ariel. It frightened her so much that Lillie had to choke down a sob.

"We can try," Ariel answered. Lillie's chest opened up with relief. "We can try and make things work between us."

Lillie closed her eyes and briefly bit her lip. "G-good. I'm glad…"

Ariel turned so that she could face her, keeping their hands connected. "Promise me one thing, though, okay?"

She turned to face Ariel better, her heart once more hammering away in her chest. "Promise you what?"

Her thumb stroked the back of Lillie's hand. "If you find someone that you like more than me, don't hesitate to go for them. Lillie, you deserve someone who you will always be there for you. I'm not saying I'll never be there, but I won't be able to make it to your village in time to help you. If you find some amazing guy or girl out there and you like them, please promise me you'll let me go and try."

Lillie felt something crack in her chest. She knew that Ariel wasn't saying this to hurt her. It was brave of her to offer this. Their relationship wasn't ending, but she only wanted Lillie to promise to try if she found someone else. Of course, she didn't believe she would find someone else in Oak Tree Town. There were so many other interesting people that others around her age could go for—she wasn't anything special and she wasn't anyone's first pick.

Ariel had picked her first, though, and it made her feel amazing. Lillie didn't believe that anyone else in her village could make her feel the way she did. She would promise her, though. Lillie would do this one thing for Ariel after all the help she's given her.

"I promise," Lillie whispered.

Ariel's smile was always so dazzling, and it took Lillie's breath away. She leaned forward and pressed their lips together. "Good. You make me so happy, Lillie. If you ever find someone else, I know you're going to make them just as happy."

* * *

Lillie woke up in a cold sweat.

She sat up in bed, the covers falling off her shoulders. The sound of her breath filled the room, sounding louder than it should have. Lillie looked around, finding that Melanie was still sleeping. One look at her clock made her see that it was the middle of the night.

When she thought about it, Lillie knew that she hadn't dreamed about Ariel in a long time. They still exchanged letters, talking about how their lives had been. Sometimes Lillie managed to go and see her for a couple of hours. It seemed that things had never changed between them, even after they graduated from school and returned to their own towns.

Ariel was a firm believer that dreams meant something important. It was why she enjoyed her dreams about mermaids and sea animals. She always believed that she would be a marine biologist and she succeeded. Lillie was so proud of her.

If Lillie dreamed of that moment, it had to mean something. Perhaps it was some cosmic force telling her that she needed to tell Ariel about Johnny.

Perhaps it was the universes way of telling her that she needed to _try_ with Johnny instead of being afraid.

Tossing the covers off, Lillie hopped out of bed and wandered to her desk. The tiny lamp gave off just enough light for her to work. She took a seat and pulled out the prettiest stationary set that Iris had ever given her. Lillie only used it for special occasions and letters. What she had to write was important.

 _My Dearest Ariel_

Lillie needed to write to her—she needed Ariel to know what was happening in her life and that she had found someone. Ariel would understand. After all, she was the one who wanted Lillie to promise her that she would let her go. And she had, despite believing that she never would.

Tomorrow, as soon as work was over, Lillie would run to Johnny and tell him everything.


End file.
